Sri Lanka Embassy in collaboration with the Museum of Asian Art, State Museums in Berlin, as well as with the Sri Lankan community organized a Seminar on Buddhism to celebrate Vesak Day on 06th May 2015.
The seminar began by observing five Precepts through Reverend Shantharakkhitha of the Buddhist Temple in Berlin. Prof. Dr. Klaas Ruitenbeek, Director of the Museum of Asian Art welcomed the participants and explained the importance and the relevance of this event to the Museum of Asian Art. The Museum displays many Buddhist artifacts in their permanent exhibition.
Prof. Eli Franco, Director of the Institute of Indology at the University of Leipzig graced this event as the chief guest and speaker by doing a presentation on the "Philosophical Curriculum of the Buddhist Monastic Universities in Middle Ages". Dharmachari Amogharatna, Chairman of "Buddhistisches Tor", a Buddhist organization in Berlin, presented a brief introduction on the teachings of Lord Buddha in his speech. Ms. Sylvia Wetzel, a well-known author and teacher on the teachings of Lord Buddha and editor of the "Lotusblätter", a German magazine on Buddhism, explained in her speech as how the teaching of Lord Buddha can be applied to modern life.
In the concluding remarks, Karunatilaka Amunugama, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Germany stated that the Embassy organized the event with the Museum of Asian Art to provide an opportunity to the followers of Buddhism and the open minded people in Germany to learn about the philosophical aspects of Buddhism and the teaching of Lord Buddha and the Embassy wishes to assume a guiding role to organize similar intellectual discussions in the future.
The Ambassador thanked the speakers of the event, the Museum of Asian Art and the well wishers of this event for collaborating with the Embassy to make this event a success.
A reception with the delicious Sri Lankan Ayurvedic foods prepared by the Embassy and Sri Lankan Tea were enjoyed by the participants.
The main Vesak Festival was organized by the Buddhist Temple in Frohnau, Berlin on 03rd May with a full day program including observing sill and Dhamma discussions. Members of the Embassy and their families joined the Frohnau Buddhist Temple in celebrating Vesak on last Sunday.
Embassy of Sri Lanka, Berlin, Germany
8th May 2015
